- 53 123. The CPT has also recommended that the Greek authorities establish a system of regular visits to law enforcement agency establishments by an independent authority. Such a system could make a significant contribution towards the prevention of ill-treatment of persons in custody and help to ensure satisfactory conditions of detention. 124. As regards formal safeguards against ill-treatment, police officers continued to have a wide discretion to delay the exercise of the right of detained persons to inform a close relative or another third party of their choice about their situation, and some considerable time could elapse before the right of access to a lawyer became effective. Further, the right of access to a doctor was not always respected in practice; in particular, police officers tended to filter requests by detained persons to see a doctor and, as a result, certain of them were not receiving the medical care required by their state of health. Recommendations have been made on each of these issues. Other safeguards addressed by the CPT include the requirement to inform detained persons of all their rights without delay and the drawing up of a detailed code of conduct for interrogations by law enforcement officials. 125. As regards the safeguards offered to immigration detainees, the situation has improved considerably as compared to that described in previous reports. However, foreigners subject to expedited removal to a neighbouring country were not being guaranteed the rights of notification of custody and access to a lawyer; the CPT has recommended that immediate steps be taken to remedy this shortcoming. The CPT has expressed particular concern as regards allegations of "informal" - including group - deportations to Turkey, without using recognised border crossings and, possibly, putting the lives of the persons concerned at risk. The CPT trusts that the adoption of the bilateral readmission agreement of 8 November 2001 between Greece and Turkey has brought such practices to an end. 126. The Greek authorities are making efforts to improve conditions of detention in police facilities. Investment has already been made to this end, and more is foreseen. Further, action has been taken to remedy certain of the shortcomings observed by the CPT's delegation in detention facilities visited in 2001. Nevertheless, it is clear that there is still much room for progress. In many of the establishments visited in 2001, persons were being held for prolonged periods in dilapidated and unhygienic premises; on occasion, detention facilities were also poorly lit and ventilated and severely overcrowded. The CPT has provided further guidance to the Greek authorities on the conditions which should obtain in law enforcement agency detention facilities. It has also recommended that detailed standards on conditions of detention be produced for all law enforcement agencies; compliance with such standards and with instructions regarding conditions of detention should be effectively monitored.